


we've got your back (whatever that's worth)

by thehappiestdays



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Post-November 20 Interrogation (Persona 5), Self-Esteem Issues, and hifumi too, and i'm not gonna tag them all but the rest of the phantom thieves too, it's a fun time for sure, mild angst bundled up in some fluffy blankets, nine kids and a cat at a sleepover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25998727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehappiestdays/pseuds/thehappiestdays
Summary: To his credit, Mishima lasted a day. Even when he walked into class and saw the empty desk, he didn't pester Takamaki or Sakamoto. No, he kept calm and went about his day like normal. He would prove that he was a good ally to the Phantom Thieves. Because Henmi was fine, totally okay, definitely alive and not at all dead like the news reports had been saying over and over again since the story first broke.Or; After sitting for a day without any news, Mishima heads over to LeBlanc to check in on his boyfriend. Just to make sure if he's okay and all (and totally not dead like all the news reports keep saying).It's an pretty alright idea, probably why he's hardly the only one who has it.
Relationships: Mishima Yuuki/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	we've got your back (whatever that's worth)

**Author's Note:**

> When I was first playing P5, I thought a sleepover featuring all of Joker's friends would've been a fun twist on the maxed-out social link check-in that typically happens towards the end of the game. It didn't, a shame really, but the idea (and a fierce love for Mishima) refused to leave me alone hence this little fic. c:
> 
> A minor note too. My Joker goes by the name Henmi Ren, apologies in advance if that causes a bit of confusion.

To his credit, Mishima lasted a day. Even when he walked into class and saw the empty desk, he didn't pester Takamaki or Sakamoto. No, he kept calm and went about his day like normal. He would prove that he was a good ally to the Phantom Thieves. Because Henmi was fine, totally okay, definitely alive and not at all dead like the news reports had been saying over and over again since the story first broke.

Still, what ifs festered within his thoughts. A hundred or so texts written but not sent. A dozen or so trips started to Yongen-Jaya but never finished. And after a full day without any news or information or clues, Mishima found himself standing outside of Leblanc, at night, in the cold, without much of a plan. He only had one all-consuming thought inside him: I need to see Henmi.

With his hand held up at the door, he stood motionlessly as he waited for the courage to knock. It was ridiculous. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep without knocking. But that nasty voice kept nagging him. So clingy, so selfish, what plans was he going to ruin just because he couldn't trust his boyfriend enough? Why was he so intent on seeing him when asking Takamaki was not only easier but definitely safer too?

But his feet just wouldn't move.

' _He did say he liked my selfishness_.' Mishima thought, swallowing down all his doubts and quickly rapping on the wood door. There! The deed was done. The die was tossed, or whatever that phrase was. He didn't know the actual Latin like Henmi.

But inside, the cafe remained as barren as it was when he first arrived and with each passing second that added to that, Mishima's heart and hopes sank deeper. ' _It can't be true_.' Knocking a few more times, he stood up on his tippy-toes to get a better peek through the windows. Just a glance, some kind-of sign that he actually didn't die, that's all he needed!

As he looked about, a shadow quickly bolted up the stairs and a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding slipped past his lips. ' _Please please, tell me you're okay,_ ' and finally down the stairs came the lanky form of Henmi Ren in an absolute clatter.

Neither bothered waiting for a breath or a word. As soon as the door opened, Mishima threw his arms around his boyfriend's chest, burying his head in it as Henmi pulled him closer still. He refused to cry, Kamoshida didn't even get that privilege, but word! He was alive! Instead of it being just a hope to cling to for his sanity's sake, it was a solid undeniable fact. It was almost unreal!

"Mishima, what are you doing here?" Henmi finally asked, quickly locking the door again behind them. There were a hundred explanations and excuses at his tongue, each one more pathetic than the last. But having him finally so close, warm and alive, what did it matter? He was just so glad. After one more nuzzle, he picked up his head and completely froze when he looked at the boy in his arms.

It was awful.

Even under the sea of colorful and childish band-aids, the bruises and cuts littering his boyfriend's face still stuck out like sore thumbs. An exceptionally sharp cut ran alongside his lip and it took all his greater judgment not to reach out and touch it. “What happened?” He asked, guilt and panic racing through his voice.

"I fought the law, and the law won?" Despite his split lip, Henmi still tried to sell his little song with a half-smile though he didn't get far before he winced, pressing the heel on his palm into his lip.

Mishima stared back wordlessly, and in return, Henmi let out a defeated sigh. Reaching down, he picked up his cat, cuddling the small beast to his chest in a huff. The sleeve ends of his shirt slipped up, revealing even more deep bruises around his wrists. To hell with better judgment! He grabbed for the other's wrist, pulling it and him closer. Rage turned in his stomach.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Henmi said quietly, cupping Mishima's cheek as he snapped his head up in protest. "I'm not dead, okay? All of this will heal, trust me." And just when he felt like he couldn't be more of a failure, Henmi leaned in and kissed the top of his head. Like he was the one who needed comforting. Pathetic. "It's late. You should go home, get some sleep."

"What if I don't want to?" All that relief of seeing him alive and breathing was nowhere to be found. He couldn't- No, he didn't want to leave him. He wanted to stay, to make sure Henmi really was okay. There was a hollowness in his voice that clipped through his words, and it was killing him to hear. In front of him, the taller boy tilted his head slightly to look down at the cat in his arms. An intense conversation seemed to bounce between the two of them. "Henmi?"

After one last semi-glare from Morgana, Henmi pouted a little as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I mean, I'm not gonna force you out."

"Great! I'm staying the night then." The words bounded forth with more confidence than he actually felt, but confidence was mostly just a state of mind, yeah? Taking his hand, Mishima tugged him towards his room. The curious look of amusement on his face was definitely a better look than that painful half-smile.

"Do you have any extra clothes to wear?" He asked, and Mishima just shrugged in return.

"I'll borrow yours." It wouldn't be the first time.

"What about school tomorrow, eh?"

"I'll just skip, you’re more import-" He started, but a sharp tug cut him off. Morgana darted past them as Henmi pushed him against the wall and pressed his lips against his in a sweet and desperate kiss. Mishima pulled him closer in an instant, looping his arms around his middle. His mind was miles away, simply wanting to enjoy the motions while they lasted. If the last day meant anything, it was that life was honestly too short at times.

But almost as soon as it started, Henmi pulled back with a small smirk, tongue running over the same cut. "Stupid cut, but thank you." He said, giving him one more gentler kiss that still left Mishima beet red and dizzy. "You know, you’re totally my hero right now." He chuckled quietly, hopping up the rest of the steps himself too.

Reaching up to touch his lips, Mishima managed to push down some of the more lewd thoughts scrambling to break free. Hero? Oh, he could definitely maybe do something like that.

"Are you hungry!" Brimming with renewed confidence, he hopped up the rest of the steps too. Yeah! He’d so be the best hero-boyfriend ever. Even if his actual hero-boyfriend just cocked his head confused at that suggestion. "Well, like. I don't know if you ate dinner yet. I could go to the store, grab something, even just snacks, if you were hungry." It probably wasn't a great suggestion because Henmi just looked down at the floor silently. An annoyed hiss pulled his attention back up, earning the cat annoyed glare right back.

"I, ah, really don't wanna be alone right now." He finally admitted after a moment, and Mishima nodded his head. He could work with that.

"Ok, then! We can go together then. I'll protect you!" Rising his arms, he struck a little heroic-like pose to help sell the idea better. He didn't. The other boy's eyes just narrowed further as he looked him over, all skeptical and curious like he was trying to solve a puzzle on Mishima’s face.

And while he’d gladly stare into the void unblinking for Henmi, staring unblinking _at_ Henmi was a whole another matter. The way he looked into people's eyes, like they were direct paths into the soul or the core of the very universe itself... Well, the few seconds passed like endlessly minutes and when he finally spoke, all of that false bravado was in pieces on the floor.

"Mi~shi~ma~." He teased, sweet and endlessly amused. "When’s the last time you eat?"

Absolutely. Utterly. In. Pieces.

* * *

  
  


After the truth spilled (with Mishima defending his lack of appetite due to the fact that he didn't know-know Henmi's ultimate fate and thinking your boyfriend was maybe-but-hopefully-not dead was a bit of an appetite killer and Henmi just hit his head against an armrest like a metronome, muttering that he told told told them all to let him know about the plan and that he was, in fact, basically okay)—

Well, late night convenience stores were a thing for a reason.

Henmi hid himself in his hoodie, Morgana snuggling inside like a small joey. As they left the coffee shop, Mishima wrapped his hand around Henmi's, holding tight as if letting go for even a moment would doom him forever. He knew it was stupid, it was just Yongen-Jaya after all, but being outside of LeBlanc made his anxieties swell again. The truth of the situation felt more palpable now as they walked out of the side street, seeing a few other people out under the moonlight too. Someone out there, maybe even multiple people, had hurt Henmi and who knew where they were or when they were coming back.

As that thought sank inside him, so too did the knowledge of how woefully unprepared he’d be if a situation did in fact spring up. He wasn't much of a fighter. Even in games! Even with Akiyama! He lucked out hard during that escapade but what were the odds of doing it again? Urgh, maybe he could just throw Morgana at any would-be attackers, giving them a chance to run. Morgana was loyal, and he knew personally that those claws did not lie. Ha.

"Hey hey, let's get some sandwiches." Henmi said, waving a hand in front of his face and tugging him out of his negative thoughts. Mishima had been zoning out in the front the sweets again.

"Didn't Boss make you dinner though?"

"Yeah, but you need real food in your stomach."

"Dorayaki is real food!"

"Ain't dinner though~” And Mishima hated that he couldn’t entirely lie his way around that. Happy with himself though, Henmi tried to hum a dumb tune as he picked a few sandwiches off the shelf and dumped them into their little basket. He swore he heard Morgana chuckle too. His pout grew more pronounced as he was pulled along.

"You only got the egg ones."

"I know, they're the best."

"Not. At least get a fruit one for me. Please?" Leaning in, he threw his best puppy-dog eyes at his boyfriend. For a solid ten seconds, Henmi stared back wholly unimpressed before knocking a strawberry-cream sandwich off the shelf and into the basket like a bratty cat.

“One fruit one, okay. What else would you like?” It didn’t take long to finish gathering up their smorgasbord of snacks and convenience store dinners after that, Mishima tossing in an unhealthy amount of sweets as Henmi grabbed every odd and funky treasure in sight. The clerk looked a touch put-off as Henmi all but dumped their treasure trove on the counter, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

"No! I got this," Mishima quickly pushed him out of the way. "Just save it for next time, okay? This is on me."

"Don't you mean our innocent fans? They already paid for that fancy buffet too, for shame." A quick elbow jab to his side couldn't dislodge the wicked albeit pained smirk on his face. He quickly babbled that that never officially happened (a point he farther clarified to the now speechless clerk too). Though a slight blush lingered after the payment that wasn't out of shame for his past half-actions. Henmi had said _our fans_ , like he had been a Phantom Thief right alongside him. Maybe if he had been, he could've saved Henmi from a few of those bruises.

Stopping for a moment to collect himself, Mishima looked through their bulging bag for something to munch on on the way back (and if it happened to double as a potential escape item too, ha! That was just good planning). Next to him, Henmi leaned against the storefront's wall, tugging at the curly ends of his hair aimlessly before a heavy sigh left his lips.

"People think I'm a thug again." Under the flickering street lights, he frowned as he kept playing with his hair. Mishima looked up from his rummaging, dropping his snack back to the bottom. “The clerk inside, they were glad when you took over. I forgot what that was like.”

And while he hoped he had left his mindless hero worship days far behind him, a swell of righteous indignation bubbled up inside him. He wanted march back into the store and give that worker a piece of his mind. They had no idea how lucky they were to have someone like Henmi in the world, helping in the shadows and making things better for the downtrodden. Oh! They could only dream of being so selfless and wonderful and kind—

"Wait! Is that why you brought up the fan thing?!" In an instant, Henmi whipped his head to the side and even hidden in his hoodie, Mishima could see Morgana mirroring the same deadpan stare on his face. Shaking his head a little, he let out a curt laugh. "I can't believe you."

"They were been annoying, okay? The second you pushed me away, they were all like happy sighs, here's someone normal." Henmi huffed, crossing his arms like a petulant five foot nine child. "You'd think after a few months, they'd at least stop flinching at every little bruise."

It wasn't worth mentioning no bruise currently on his face could be described as little. There were other words stuck on his tongue instead. Words like that people sucked, that Henmi was a little strange but still a damn hero and worth more than they could've ever imagined. But they were only words, in the end. Mishima believed them with his whole heart but so did Henmi. It wasn't like the boy was stupid, he was top of their class despite all the stress of this year. He knew what the world was like, for the better and the worse sadly.

So instead, Mishima linked their hands together again and gave it a little squeeze, and then two more for luck. The world sucked and people were unfair and Henmi deserved love. Not three promises, just three unsaid statements that they both knew with all of their hearts. In front of him, still keeping one arm crossed like the stubborn fool he was, Henmi let a smile slip through.

“If you want to know what I think," Mishima started, tugging him away from the wall. "I think even gods would tremble in front of you. Maybe give the simple mortals some credit that they can manage you at face value at all." As he jested, his thumb gently brushed over one of the bruises on his hand, hoping he’d get the point. Henmi normally did. "And until they acclimate better to your awe-inspiring presence, you can just pester me or Takamaki or Sakamoto or like a dozen other people who _actually_ know you and love you and are happy to prove it to you whenever they get too much for you.”

There was a moment of quiet between them before Henmi snorted. "Acclimate? You're such a nerd." But between them, a single hand squeeze passed, followed by two more. After that, the taller boy just mumbled something slight about the cold as he pulled his hood tighter around his face. But Mishima saw the faint red blush, and considered it a win all the same.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"I told you we shouldn't have left him! What if something happened!"

As they rounded the corner and got closer to Leblanc, a set of hushed wannabe whispers came to their ears. In an instance, Morgana let out a low hiss, hair raising and Mishima reached out to stop and shield Henmi. He just ducked behind his arm anyways, a small shake coming off of his lanky frame.

"Well, we're here now. Do you, wanna try picking the lock?"

"No, I don't!" The voice huffed, stomping their feet as they crossed their arms. The other individual just sighed, digging out a phone. The voices sounded a touch familiar but in his panic-induced protection, they might as well have been speaking a whole another language.

Behind him, a small chime echoed out of Henmi’s pocket and he heard a small ‘oh’ after he fished it out.

“Oh?” Mishima repeated, twisting a little to see the screen too.

“It’s Ann and Ryuji.” Snapping his head up, he squinted at the two figures in the dark and yeah, now that he mentioned it, it did look a lot like Takamaki and Sakamoto though he did wonder how the heck Takamaki hid all that hair in a hood.

“Sakamoto? Takamaki?” He called out quietly, still shielding Henmi with his arm. The pair looked up at him, and even under the dark night sky, the sheer joy that exploded out of the two when they saw their friend rivaled that of even the sun's light in summer.

“Ren!” They both called out, rushing over. Takamaki instantly threw her arms around her friend, crushing him in a bear hug as Sakamoto just laughed, slapping a hand down on a shorter boy’s shoulder.

“He was with you? Ah, should’ve guessed,” he chuckled.

“Sorry!" As she let go, Takamaki brushed a few tears away from her eyes. "I just couldn’t sit still, knowing you were all alone- No, I know you were there too, Morgana but still.”

“Yeah, same. I felt too antsy when I got home and came back. Ran into Ann on the way over too.” Sakamoto said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, hell yes! It’s a party!” The growing group barely had time to turn their heads towards the new voice as Henmi was yanked back by a new pair of arms. A smirking girl with long red hair hung off him, laughing in delight. Mishima vaguely remembered her from a diner once.

“Futaba, please." Henmi choked out a little, and the girl instantly dropped back to the ground with a small apology.

"Sojiro said I could hang with you tonight!" She smiled, picking up the over-sized duffel bag by her feet. "And I thought, why not make it a sleepover? I've never been to one before!"

"It's really not a bad idea. I'd feel a lot more comfortable sleeping over tonight, especially with everyone else." Takamaki smiled. And that was really all it took. The small back alley filled with the quiet chatter of sleepover plans, what foods they should grab as Mishima shook the already bulging bag of snacks. Futaba held up her bag of pillows and blankets, swearing it was more than enough for the five of them.

As soon as she had finished that sentence though, the student council president and another curly-haired girl walked out from the station, both carrying heavy bags. The pair stared at their little group for a beat before Niijima chuckled quietly to herself.

"It seems we all had the same idea." And then, the plans took off again. The curly-haired girl walked over to where Mishima was with Henmi, hugging the taller boy tight before introducing herself as simply Haru. Niijima took the lead though, explaining what she had brought and sharing some of the words she'd had with her sister before coming.

It was honestly a little overwhelming after that. Mishima knew some of them well enough but the easy friendly chatter that flowed from the group left a sullen note in him. It would've been easy to write it off as simple jealousy, especially after a day of not knowing. They all had known he was alive, Mishima hadn't. It wasn't all the selfish to want some of his time and attention now.

But, he had that. His boyfriend's chin rested on the top of his head with his arms wrapped around his shoulders in a lazy hug, even as Henmi quietly chatted with his friends, adding in quiet little quips for Mishima's ears only. No, he knew this feeling. This was just that familiar feeling of being left-out, of wanting a group of friends like this and feeling like he had nothing real to offer them.

Henmi pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head, like all those thoughts were overflowing out of him, and Mishima bit them down at once. It wasn't the point, and not fair. He knew Henmi was more like him than most, friendless and alone for most of his life. He was happy that he had such wonderful people in it now, and even happier still that he had a special spot too.

"You good?" He asked instead during a quiet moment. Three of the girls left to gather more sleeping supplies at one of their houses nearby, and Sakamoto was holding an even more impressive conversation with Morgana than Henmi often did.

"Yeah, it's a bit much but what can you expect from a band of fools?" Henmi shrugged a little, untangling himself from his boyfriend. Despite his dismissive tone, Mishima saw faint red blush again spreading along his cheeks. "As long as no one else pops up, I'll be fine." He quickly added, pulling his hood up.

Mishima rolled his eyes, almost commenting that he was surely testing fate with words like that but a sudden loud clatter silenced the group in an instant. All eyes turned towards the dark end of the alleyway, suddenly aware that they all should really be inside of the shop by now. They were nothing but suspicious and unsafe outside of it.

Niijima narrowed her eyes, unlocking her phone as she took a few steps frontward, Sakamoto following her lead with a less convincing aura of confidence. Behind them all, Henmi had backed up into the shadows the best he could. All their breaths were held collectively as they waited to see. A quiet set of whispers crept out of the darkness. They were much too quiet to make out any words, though Mishima thought they sounded like his parents during a long trip, a touch frustrated and hopelessly lost.

Then, a long-haired girl with an exasperated look walked out beneath a streetlight followed by a taller young man, almost blissfully unaware of her mood. Before Mishima could try and place either of them, Niijima gasped loudly.

"Togo-san?!" The girl turned at her name, relief flooding her face when she spotted the group. The boy only grinned, muttering a soft 'I told you'.

Ignoring him, she quickly walked over and greeted the brown-haired girl, a polite but anxious conversation blossoming between them. Curious, Mishima tried to pick up bits but it was lost as soon as the other three members of their sleepover party returned. Futaba shrieked, jumping the other boy in the similar way she did to Henmi earlier. An odd feeling floated inside him too that he just couldn't place, but he couldn't deny that the boy looked strikingly familiar under the dark night sky.

And as the party started to get carried away again, talking about food for a third time and blankets for a second and whether or not to ditch school the following morning for a first, a loud meow cut through the chaotic chatter. A grumpy and extremely red-faced Henmi hid behind an equally grumpy Morgana, focusing all of his attention down the street like it held all the answers to the universe. Or, more likely, like it didn't have an unruly mob of concerned friends gathered by his door, Mishima smiled to himself.

For a boy who gladly jumped on stage but only a month ago and professed his love for a cat, it seemed he'd reached his hard limit regarding sincere affection and love for the night. He stubbornly waited a few seconds more before he threw out an arm, waving it about at the closed door. His eyes never moved from the whatever place down the street they were focusing on, but it was still clear: a silent plea for them all to go inside, please, dear god.

"Okay, fine. I do expect everyone to be at school tomorrow though, on time and fully rested." Niijima smiled quietly as she opened the door, letting the group enter and make their way upstairs. Last in was Henmi himself, holding back to relock the door once again. Mishima waited for him too.

"You okay?" He asked, taking his hand again. Still red as a beet, Henmi just nodded wordlessly. "I think you tested fate a little back there."

"Oh, hush you." He rolled his eyes, kissing his brow as he locked the front door and followed his friends upstairs.

If they'd thought it would be a quiet night, well. It wasn't. Having claimed a spot in the middle of the floor, Mishima mostly watched the next hour or so passed by in a whirlwind. There were more introductions as the nine teenagers plus one cat tried to arrange themselves on Henmi's floor comfortably. Obviously, they were all friends of Henmi's, but it was nice to finally put some actual faces to some of the stories Henmi had told him about over the last few months. After being introduced to him for an apparent second time, Mishima totally could picture Kitagawa taking Henmi out on an inspirational romantic boat ride, oblivious to all the looks and mistaking a pair of siblings for passionate lovers.

And there was a bit of comfort knowing he wasn't the only one left out of the loop as the long haired girl huffed at Henmi once they started spreading out all the pillows and blankets. She didn't give him any leeway, just like a battle-hardened general of old. "Can you imagine how my heart dropped when I first saw those reports? It was cruel not to not tell me, Ren!"

"I'm sorry, Togo-san. For everyone's safety, we thought it was best to limit our activities to just us." Niijima apologized, and Mishima chuckled alongside Henmi as the former battle-hardened general instantly warmed, settling down with a little sigh and apology. It was a good plan, she noted, just frustrating being stuck on the sidelines.

Off to the side, Futaba helped herself to an old gaming system, setting it up on a tiny TV and suggesting a battle tournament to pick sleeping spots. "Grand prize? A sleeping spot next to our fearless leader~" She added with a cackle and a wink. The room filled with equal parts excited cheers and loud groans as the group divided itself. The redhead grabbed a piece of paper, drawing up a complex tournament mat and writing in all the competitors' names. Mishima was in one of the last brackets, a good place as he could get a good feel for the other players. Victory would be his.

But all of this was before their fearless leader helpfully pointed out in the most sarcastic manner possible that the only game he actually owned was Golfer Sarutahiko.

" _Why_?" Mishima said, staring dead at him. He only got a shrug in return as Takamaki whipped a pillow at his head.

"I thought it would help with my proficiency~" Henmi added, unfazed by the wannabe projectile as he playfully leaned his head on his shoulder. "Didn't though, boring as hell. Plus, you bring over all the fun games, sooo~~~"

"Urgh, stop flirting with your boyfriend please."

"Hey! If I wanna flirt with him, I can. I've earned that right, in case you forgot." And while he gestured wildly around his face for extra emphasis, Sakamoto just snorted in laughter.

"You're gonna use that fact for every minor inconvenience that happens now, aren't ya?"

"Oh, yeah! I can already see it now," Haru giggled too.

"Ok, you know what! Futaba! Put on Golfer Sarutahiko!" Snapping his fingers, Henmi pointed at the red-haired girl who just saluted in response. "I'm gonna win and sleep all by myself, ha!"

He didn't win. Golfer Sarutahiko was, in fact, an extraordinary boring golf game and Henmi's attention span dropped into the negatives even before they finished the first hole. He just gave the controller over to Mishima and curled up next to him in defeat. The massive group seemed to take his lead a bit too as they started to settle down, breaking off into smaller, softer conversations while they took turns video-golfing through a few holes.

By time it got down to just Mishima and Futaba, the younger girl finally tapping out after the seventh hole as she wordlessly pulled a blanket over her, the room was already half-asleep in the worst make-shift cuddle pillow pile ever.

The blankets were barely enough for everyone to get toasty warm, let alone to soften the edge of the hardwood floor under them. Feet and elbows ended up in unsavory places throughout the night as people shifted and tried to get comfortable. Any of their beds at home would've been a vast improvement, and they all knew it. But as Mishima too settled into a light sleep, curling up against Henmi in the absolute center of this little blanket disaster, listening to the quiet snores of this collection of bizarre friends... It was clear what their homes and normal beds would've been missing.

And all things considered, a night of twisting and turning on hardwood floors was well-worth it for the look of serenity on their fearless leader's face as he slept sound as could be, surrounded by friends and loved ones.

* * *

  
  


As the early morning sun filtered into the attic, Mishima groaned a little and pressed his face into a pillow once more. Five more minutes ran automatically across his half-awake mind, but he pushed himself up despite it. All around him were the sleeping forms of his classmates and a few maybe new friends as well, all curled in blankets and pillows they pilfered with Futaba’s help and Niijima’s foresight.

And for someone who had only ever been offered friendship as a joke or dare before that year, a bitter jealousy crept back inside of Mishima like a cold winter chill. If the roles had been reversed, he didn’t think he’d have a sea of people clambering to be at his side. He knew he wouldn’t.

’ _But Henmi would, in a heartbeat_.’ An all too quiet voice inside of him noted. Pulling a blanket around him, he sighed and tried to shake off that mood. No, he was happy that his boyfriend had so much love in his life. He deserved it all and more. Looking around, he also noticed that the whole reason for this gathering was now gone from his spot in the middle of the cuddle pile, leaving just a semi-cold spot on the floor.

Looking around in a panic, Mishima ran over the logistics of someone being able to kidnap a whole person while surrounded by eight sleeping teenagers and one cat. It couldn’t be possible. ‘ _But they also caught and almost killed him once before, yeah_?’ A louder voice teased, and he pushed himself up to his feet. Nope! Bad morning thoughts!

With some minor effort, he managed to escape over the horde of sleeping bodies without waking anyone else and despite the ebbing panic flowing over his skin, he picked up on the distinct sound of tapping coming from downstairs in the cafe. Tilting his head, Mishima slowly made his way down the stairs, committed to not disturb anyone sleeping or otherwise.

And, surely enough, curled up in a ball in the last booth was a familiar head of even more unruly curly dark hair. Mishima didn’t immediately enter the cafe, instead hanging by the last step as he drank in the image. The gentle morning light made the cold November chill feel months away instead of just outside the door. One bruised hand absentmindedly pet Morgana’s head as the other tapped out a message on his phone. It would’ve been the picture of serenity if Mishima could only ignore all the tension bundled in his shoulders, knitted in his brows, clouding his eyes…

But that wasn’t what heroes did, so he walked over to the booth and slid in. Henmi looked up with a little smile, but didn’t say anything for a moment. Not until Mishima started to trace small patterns on his knees.

“You know, the last time I got arrested, no one really asked if I was alright.” In his hand, Henmi still had his phone, scrolling down as he looked through a flood of messages.

“I mean, my folks did, obviously. Auntie too. But none of my so-called friends from school did. Not even my ex. I probably deserved that one with everything I did after we broke up, sure, but he could’ve just asked. He was my tutor, it wouldn’t have been that weird…” The bitterness in his voice was hard to ignore, same with the scowl in his eyes. Mishima just laid his head on his knees.

“And this time?” He asked, watching Henmi snort in reply.

“In case you didn’t notice, we have a bit of a harem upstairs.” He smiled, waving his hand at the stairs but it really didn’t reach his eyes. He said nothing more for a moment as he stared off in the distance before his cat rubbed against his arm. Blinking, he came back to reality and just sighed, leaning back against the wall. “You always text so much. Whenever I hear the vibrations, my gut reaction is always, _yo wonder what’s up with my boy_ , and I grab my phone to see.”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Don’t be, I really like it.” He smiled like it was a precious treasure he actually wanted to protect. “I heard all these vibrations this morning, grabbed my phone without thinkin' and just-” There was a pause, and Mishima waited for Henmi to continue. But instead, he covered his face with his hands, hiccuping a sad laugh. Even if he refused to let them fall, Mishima could see the start of tears along his eyes. “No one was even supposed to know that was _me_ but you all still showed up and texted me all these damn worries and well wishes. What the fuck?”

“We all love you.” As the hiccuping got louder, Mishima crawled in between his knees and pulled his boyfriend into a hug. “Of course, we’re going to make sure you’re okay.”

“It’s just, so weird.”

“I know.” And he did. Sometimes after a long day when he actually tried to lay down and sleep, hell, just, even breathe… He couldn’t believe they were friends, let alone more. He couldn’t believe any of the sleeping kids upstairs were even within the realm of possibly being his friend. It went against everything he had known about the universe and on his worst days, it felt like a cruel joke he was too stupid to see.

And while he found it hard to believe that Henmi, funny impulsive dramatic beautiful goddamn Henmi, could feel that way too, he understood that feeling well enough and that felt that was good enough for now. Kissing him on the forehead, one of the free spots without too many silly band-aids, Mishima pulled back. “Want some of those gross sandwiches that you like so much?”

“Oh, screw you. They’re great.” Henmi sniffled, sticking his tongue out at him.

“You’re such a child.”

“Whatever, cradle robber. You married me.”

“We're- We’re not married!” Mishima jumped back, unable to control the red flush across his whole body. And in front of him, Henmi just clasped his chest and gasped dramatically. Mishima swore his cat did too in tandem.

“I almost die trying to uphold justice and truth, and you _deny_ me? Cruel, Yuuki, cruel.” He pouted, drawing a little teardrop near his eye with his finger. Mishima sighed, pushing him over as he got up, ignoring how much worse his face got when he heard his own name out of Henmi’s mouth.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go wake up the others before it’s too late.”

“Ah, no! Let them sleep.” Henmi giggled, sweeping all his sadness under a rug as he followed after him. “Then, we could do brunch~”

“I mean, we could but I don’t think Niijima-san would be too happy with that.” He turned his head to watch as that realization sunk into Henmi behind him, chuckling as the taller boy paled a bit.

“Fine, killjoy. We’ll wake them up.” With a little huff, he gathered up Morgana and brushed past him on the stairs. “You’re staying though.” Mishima laughed, nodding his head.

“Of course. I promised, didn’t I?” He added, enjoying the sight of his boyfriend’s ears turning red under those words.

* * *

Keeping with her promise, Niijima ushered the admittedly sleep-deprived gaggle of teenagers out of LeBlanc, one by one, staggered to avoid suspicion, all in time for school until only him and Futaba were left. Henmi thanked them as they left, hugging them all just a bit longer and tighter than normal.

Mishima hoped it helped remind him just how loved he really was, judgmental assholes be damned.

"So, NPC! What are we doing today?" Futaba grinned from her seat at the counter and despite the nickname, Mishima felt a rush of affection inside. It felt like home.

"Cause some terror?" Henmi unhelpfully offered as some curry plates were set out before them all. The shop owner just shook his head at them all, and Mishima decided to not push his luck anymore that morning. Shoveling some of the delicious curry into his mouth, he just listened to the pair of wanna-be siblings make a set of increasingly absurd plans.

"Please stop them." The older man asked as Mishima finished his breakfast, defeat mixing with affection in his tone. The two were talking about things above both of their heads, possibly not real given the lingo they were tossing around.

"Actually, I have to stop Akihabara. Wanna come along?" A silent 'thank you' floated through the air as Futaba lit up, throwing her arms in the air as she declared a winner.

Which is how, despite all the drama and terror and doubt and absurdity of the last day, Mishima ended up when he typically would be on any old day. Granted, Akihabara during a school day was a bit unusual but in their normal street clothes, they just looked like some slacker young adults. Futaba stuck close to Henmi, the boy offering a silent apology but Mishima couldn't even be bothered by an ounce of jealousy. Even if there was no blood between them, it was hard to shake the sibling vibe they had cultivated.

Besides, with Futaba unknowingly distracting him, Mishima could enact his little idea. He spotted a set of gashapon machines, looking them over quickly until he found the one he was looking for. It wasn't special, a little poster for some magical princess type show on it. All the trinkets looked like cheap costume jewelry and sure enough, there was one ring among them. It'd probably be too small for Henmi's finger, but that didn't stop him from fishing out some of his pocket change.

One more thing to show he was loved, one more to make him groan with the stupidity of it all. And it was definitely worth all the effort and strange looks he had gotten when he finally handed over the plastic capsule. The other boy snorted, cracking up the egg-like container before he was rendered absolutely speechless.

"Because you said we were married and all, and I figured it was appropriate given your age, yeah?" Mishima teased, shoving his hands into his pockets to ignore their sudden shakiness. It seemed like a good joke to him at the time, but the longer Henmi stared at the ring, the more his nerves tightened and panicked.

"I mean, you jest," Henmi said as quiet as could be, "But I’m getting my dad to draft up my dowry proposal now, like tomorrow." His eyes never left the ring as he spoke.

“You’re not even eighteen yet."

"Whatever, my dad has lawyers." He huffed, taking out the cheap thing with its fake little gemstone in the middle. It took a moment to wiggle it onto his ring finger completely. But when he finally looked up, his face beamed with such a sense of love, all the bruises and cuts seemed like an afterthought. It was almost too much, and Mishima knew he'd never feel completely worthy of the sea of affection he held for him.

But he also knew he wanted to be, and that had to be worth something.

And thankfully, his absolutely bitter perfect brat of his lover ruined the moment when he gave Mishima an atrocious wink. "Futaba-chan! Guess who just got engaged!" He beamed to the small girl, wiggling his newly ringed hand in the air.

"What?! To the NPC? I bet he didn't even ask Sojiro for your hand first!" Darting over, Futaba grabbed the hand Henmi had been happily waving in front of her and looked at the ring. "Ohhhhh! It's pretty though. Must've cost a small fortune."

"No- It's from a gashapon machine! It's, like a joke!" But his words fall on deaf ears as the pair of wanna-be siblings gushed over wedding ideas, next one more tacky and egregious than the last.

Leaning against the wall in a slight huff, Mishima accepted defeat and just listened for a moment. Honestly, the whole morning had felt more than a little unreal. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he had been sitting in a classroom, trying his damndest to convince himself that his best friend was okay, and not at all dead at the hands of some shadowy organization. Looking back, he didn't even know how he kept himself so calm for so long.

Distracted, Mishima didn't spot the taller boy standing up until he took his hand and pulled him away from the wall. The cheap plastic of the ring rubbed against his skin, and he already knew Henmi was probably going to take that dumb thing to the grave with him. He really should've known better by now. But instead of dwelling on that mental image, he flushed bright as a few off-key notes started to fall out of the other's mouth and he was pulled along in a slight half-dance.

It sounded like English, but Mishima couldn't place the words at all. A few eyes turned and looked at them. And while normally they would be all he saw until his anxieties caused him to pull back and hide away, today was different. Today, the only thing he could focus on was the look of pure delight as Henmi bounced in rhythm with his own rhythm-less words, and a new depth of affection blossomed with his ribcage. Instead of sobbing in his pillow this morning over the grief of losing someone he never got to truly know, Mishima had this: his best friend singing off-key while he danced with him in Akihabara and a whole new day to experience everything he ever wanted.

Life was absurdly wonderful at times.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I have no solid thoughts on what song Henmi is singing at the end but the title of the fic comes from We’ve Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2) by Los Campesinos! if you want to imagine that for maximum hilarity? It has some choice lines in it.
> 
> Thanks for reading too! It's been a fresh minute since I got the chance to finish something and this was a lot of fun to just indulge in for a little bit. :3!


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